Heres a little bit of life beforehand...
Fortunately for Silver, there was breakfast in the morning. A young, growing boy needs nutrients to stay healthy after all. The first time breakfast was revoked, Fliss had the courage to take Silver and a few others out into the woods to forage. She knew full well if they grew malnourished, they would not survive long in the broken, infested world. Giving them bugs, rats, and even flickies was way better than going hungry.
The tiny hedgehog dug his spoon into the slop. He was lucky to be getting breakfast today. Hunting for scraps in the woods was extremely dangerous. Monsters often roamed those areas, and if they were caught in there, they would be dead. Silver was extremely happy to stay indoors. Especially since a harsh storm had blown in overnight. Ugh, everyone was wet this morning...
As usual, Branch was the first one done - often before anyone else had started. He shoveled the bland porridge into his mouth and bolted out the door, only stopping to grab his cloak on the way. Fliss merely sighed. She sat down next to the ivory youngster, preparing to help him with his food.
"Do you think Branch will make it through the storm?" Silver asked, looking up into the older bird's eyes.
"He's a tough one, i'm sure he'll make it to town." She smiled, stirring her dish. The meal went on quietly, with no one wanting to catch the Mistress's attention. She was in a mood today. If anyone got on her bad side... Well… then there would be punishments.
After everyone was done, the dishes were collected and the space cleaned. Silver, being the youngest, had the easiest jobs. Picking up silverware, holding the dustpan, and even scrubbing the floor all fell into his responsibility. His tiny fingers were good for picking out all the grime and spots out of the wood, and his small stature made him perfect for doing small work.
With a sigh, he continued on. The ceiling leaked from the torrents of rain, so Silver found himself dripped on more than once. Every place he moved seemed to have a steady flow of water, dampening his baby fur and irritating him with the temperature. He wasn't the only one annoyed by this. As the morning went on, pots and bowls began to appear - catching the rainwater and preventing too much damage. Now it was the young hedgehog's job to empty those caches. In and out. In and out. With each passing minute, the water filled, and Silver lugged them outside, tilting them into the wilting grass and emptying the contents. What a horrible morning.
The storm did not let up, and the Mistress grew more and more cranky. Yelling at random kids for random things is what she did to amuse herself. Nobody did anything out of the ordinary. If someone spoke up, they would be next.
Silver sighed. He looked at Fliss from his place in the kitchen to get some comfort. The teen bird was dusting the fireplace; using her height to reach the rusted figurines. Clanks and clatters filled the air as Silver dropped the spoons into their places. Lyre was doing the dishes, so Silver had to keep up with the pace. Wrap the towel around and absorb the water. That was his job. More spoons clanked into place. Only this time, they didn't stay down.
"Fliss!" Silver screeched, looking around in alarm. It was happening again.
All at once, the dishes began to rise - floating out of the sink and creeping out of the cabinets. Silver began to rise too. With a terrified cry, he floated off his place on the counter, twisting and turning as he went. Lyre shrieked and ran out of the room, not wishing to be caught in one of the young hedgehog's episodes.
"Calm down Silver!" The bird called, running in from her place in the living room. She reached her bubblegum arms out, trying to soothe the panicking child. Silver whimpered, bumping into bowls and platters as he helplessly dangled in midair.
"I-I'm stuck!" He cried, tears forming around his black-rimmed eyes. More and more dishes lifted out of their spots the longer the episode continued.
"Just try to do what I showed you!" Fliss continued, still trying to relax him. "Concentrate -you can do this!"
"I...Can't…" Silver whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut and balling his fists. "There's...too...much…"
All at once, the items moved, racing around the kitchen and smashing against the counters. Forks and knives lodged themselves into the wooden walls while glass shattered against the doors. Silver screamed as the dishes continued to attack, plates smacking into his head and spoons ramming into his limbs.
"Fliss!" He wailed, curling tight and sobbing as the chaos continued. Loud bangs and smashing filled the house while it continued on.
"Focus Silver!" She shouted, shielding her face. "You can do it!"
With a scream, Silver tried again, extending his arms and reaching with all his strength into his mind. Nothing happened, and soon, there was nothing left to race around - leaving Silver floating in the kitchen.
Fliss gingerly approached him, reaching her hands out and caressing his small paws.
"You can do it, Silver." She soothed. "Just breath."
Sniffling, Silver concentrated again. Within a few seconds, the cyan aura that held him captive dissipated, allowing Fliss to catch him as he fell. The small crowd that had gathered shifted, eyes looking him over to make sure he was okay.
"Whats going on here!" The enraged voice of the Mistress growled. All eyes turned to Silver as the head of the house barged her way through the small group. Fliss and Silver immediately stood up, trying to be as respectful as possible to their caretaker.
"Did you do all this?" The Mistress growled, breath heavy with alcohol and spirits.
"Yes Mistress." Silver admitted, looking down at the wooden floor in shame.
"You made this huge mess?" She hissed, gesturing to the destroyed kitchen.
"Yes Mistress." Silver answered guiltily.
"Clean it up." The caretaker barked. "You too Fliss."
"What? Bu-"
"No excuses, you stupid girl." The Mistress growled. "You are just as guilty as he is."
"Yes Mistress." Fliss submitted, reaching for the broom as the lady stumbled out of the room. With a sigh, she began to help Silver clean up. The young hedgehog sniffled. He didn't even want to cause all of this chaos…
"Fliss?" Silver asked, wiggling the forks out of the wall.
"Yes." She responded.
"Do you think I will ever get control over my power?"
"Oh Silver…" She cooed, turning around and hugging him tight. "I'm sure of it."
"All it takes is time and patience."